The Scuderia Toro Rosso team arrive at the German Grand Prix on the back of a double points finish at Silverstone two weeks ago. Both Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat are looking forward to getting back on track this weekend at Hockenheim.
Vergne had a quietly impressive British Grand Prix, when a first lap clash with the Force India of Sergio Perez put him on the back foot. He made some aggressive manoeuvres to take places on track, and admitted after finishing tenth in the race he had found the aggressiveness he knew he had. He thinks the Hockenheim circuit is a nice track and is looking forward to the weekend in Germany.
“It’s a nice track and I like the stadium section, the right hand bend and the hairpin, which is a fantastic section in a Formula One car: you drive the whole lap just looking forward to this section,” said Vergne. “If the track could be just this, it would be fantastic. The rest of it includes a straight that is long enough to allow you to overtake. In fact there are quite a few overtaking opportunities here. I also like the high-speed first corner, which requires real commitment from the driver.”
Team-mate Kvyat has previous experience of Hockenheim after competing in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship in 2013 at the circuit, taking pole position for the Carlin team. He feels the circuit needs good stability but the heavy braking areas will offer a good opportunity to overtake.
“I have good memories of racing here, including getting pole position in Formula 3 last year,” said Kvyat. “It’s a nice flowing circuit with some fast straights, some heavy braking, especially for the famous hairpin where you can overtake, fast corners and the stadium section with its big crowd.
“I like the location with the countryside and the forests, which I always appreciate more than the hassle of a city. It’s a classic European track, requiring a good amount of downforce. There are some long straights but that’s not where the main lap time is found. So you have to have good stability in the more twisty sections.”
